Aspirator



May 25, 1948; c. s. sTElGERwALD 2,441,980

' smmon Filed Jan. 8, 1947' 'z-sheet-sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented May 25,A194S UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to aspiratorsystems for all types of surgical use.

A purpose of vmy invention is to free the operator and his assistantsfrom the objectionable odors, emanating from the contents of the jar andthe unsanitary manual care and the considerableloss of time andinconvenience incident to the use of glass-jar type aspirators in theoperating room.

A further purpose is to provide kan aspirator operable by remotecontrol, and permissibly to have it serve several locations.

vA further purpose is to prevent the necessity for skilled operation ofan aspirator, and to render the operation fool-proof, so that difiicultywill not be encountered through the uninformed or careless lling,clogging or other misuse of the aspirator system.

A further purpose is to provide remote control valves for flushing anddraining an aspirator tank and to interlock the valves so that ilushingcannot be started before the drain is open, preferably by making theswitch controlling the remote control system for the drain valve operatein series with the switch controlling the remote control system for theflushing valve, or by using a single switch for both functions.

eign bodies, small slivers of bone fragments, gan- A further purpose isto provide controllable suction by controllable by-pass on the suctionline from a remote control suction tank.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few'only of theembodiments of my invention, choosing the forms shown from thestandpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation, andclear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a schematic view'of my aspirato-r system.

Figure 2 is an electrical circuit diagram for operating the mechanism ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a variant circuit diagram.

Figure 4 is a perspective showing the general lay-out of the mechanism.V

In the drawingsv like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to thedrawings:

In the oiiice and operating room of the modern general surgeon orspecialist, including' nose and throat, oral surgery and eXodontia, itis frequently neces-sary to remove accumulations or progressiveaccretions of body fluids orsubstances such as blood, mucus, pus,tissue, saliva,` for the like. rForgrenous tissues, pus or the like canbe carried away. For these and related reasons, aspirators have becomeWidely used and accepted in the operating rooms and lhospitalsthroughout the country.

Prior art aspirators have commonly been of glass bottle type, and aresubject to clogging, and represent a very troublesome and inconvenientpiece of equipment, from the standpoint of cleaning and sterilizing, andbreakage. The aspirator of lthis type is also psychologically bad fromthe standpoint of the patient, for the reason that the vacuum glass jarmust be Within the sight of the operator in order to determine theamount of aspirating material flowing into the limited capacity of thegla'ss vacuum jar, to avoid overowing and to be in easy access fordisconnecting rubber tubing from the vacuum pump to the vacuum glass jarwhen emptying the contents of the jar.

I have discovered that a very convenient aspirator construction can beemployed, with remote control operation, the essential operating parts,except for the control mechanism and the aspirator applicator, beingplaced at some vdi'stant point, frequently in the basement of thehospital, or the building housing the physician, or in a speciallequipment room or closet.

In accordance with my invention I employ the usual aspirator applicatorI5, suitably merely a tube I6 having a handle I7 and connected to a sflexible tube I8 of rubber or the like.

A pressure gauge I9 is conveniently connected in the aspirator line anda pipe or tube 2i) i's carried from the flexible tube I8, convenientlythrough a trap 2| (to eliminate possible return flow of liquid or thelike during flushing) to a vacuum tank 22 conveniently at some remotepoint, as in the basement, closet or enclosed cabinet convenient towater supply and sewerage connections. The tank 22 will suitably be ofsteel welded construction and adequate size to hold all material removedduring the full length of any given operation. At the conclusion of theoperation the contents may then be removed and the system flushed.

The tank 22 is connected suitably at the top by a pipe 23 to a suctionpump 24 which receives inlet air at 25 through a conventional air lter26. The pump is conveniently mechanically driven at 21 from an electricmotor 28, operating and controlled by connections 29 from a controlpanel 3l). As later explained, the motor may be controlled by a suitableswitch as shown at 3|.

At a suitable point in the tank, conveniently .opposite terminal nearthe top, I locate a spray head 32 connected to a source of water 33 by apipe 34 through a Valve 35. The Valve is conveniently of remote controltype, and is controlled by connections 36 .from a, switch 3l on thecontrol panel. Any convenient type of remote control valve may be used,but I find it Very satisfactory to employ a Valve of the character shownin Boyle U. S. Patent 1,807,191, granted May 26, 1931.

At the bottom of the tank I provide a suitable drain 3&3Y controlled bya Valve 39 suitably of remote control type, and desirably of thecharacterV a described in the Boyle patent. The control con- Y 4flushing valve 35 in circuit branch 5I connected across to the oppositeterminal 44' of the source, as well as tell-tale lamp 52 similarlyconnected in a parallel circuit branch 53.

Thus by reference to Figure 2,'it will be evident that the pump motormay be connected on Y and o' without reference tothe other mechanections46 extend to a switch di on the control panel.

sue from cysts, accurate control of theanfiount^ of suction isimportant. For this purpose I provide a by-pass 42 on the pipe EilIsuitably adjacent the connection of the tube IS, with a. Valve 43,suitably of adjustable type connected to atmosphere.- By this means itis possible through adjustment of the valve to increase or decrease thesuction.Y applied by the applicator.

In operation of the Vdevice of Figure l, the

`flushing valve liti-and the drain valve 3e will norbrought Vintocontact with the end of the aspirator applicator, and will he suckedthrough Ythe applicator, through the tube iS and the pipe 2 0 into thetank 22, thus washing out the applicator, the tube i3 and they pipe 26.The pump 2d should thenV be turned oi, andV the drainrvalve 38 openedyby remote control operation from the switch di. Then the flushing Valve35 is opened by remote control from the switch 37, thus causing Waterfrom the spray vheadi! to wash out the tank and Idischarge through thedrain. When there has been sucient flushing, the ilushing valve-35 isclosedby operation ofthe switch 3f?, after which the drainage Valve 3Sis closed. The mechanismisthen ready for further aspiration, upon merelystarting the pump 2li.

In order to make the mechanism fool-proof, I provide specialinterlocking switching arrangements toiprevent opening of Vthe flushingValve 35 until the drain ,39 is opened, or about to'be vOpened. Iillustrate in Figure 2 a preferred circuit for this purpose,

:terminalsV ci and suinajbiy amici/ous and '.15 In many medical andsurgical operations, such as cleaning out slivers of bone and removingtisnism, .by closing and opening switch 3l. The energy required toopenthe remote control ilushing Yvalve 35 lhowevencanV only beisuppliedwhen switch lil is closed, supplying the energy to open remote. controldrain Valve 39. If switch 31 is Aclosed at any other time, no currentcan ow through coil 50, and the flushing valve will not open. `Thus.there is an elective interlocking whichprevents the opening of theflushing valve w-l'ienV the-drainfvalve is closed.

Figure shows an alternate circuit diagram accomplishing this purpose.The motor circuit is the same as in Figure 2.` The ilushingv and drainVvalve control circuits are however ,different in that a singlecontrolswitch 54 energizes the coil 49to open the drain Valve '39 incircuit Vbranch 'd8 andalso energizes the coil 50 in circuit branchl* inparallel with circuit "branch 48 Yto ,open the flushing yalve'35'.Inythis way `the necessity for the. extra lswitch 3'! is eliminated.

`Byniy invention-it"ispossible at al1 times to control the aspiratoroperating niechanismremotelymfrom apoint adjacent -theaspiratorapplicator, and-without iany diculty, or danger of improper operationgbyinexperienced assistants. :In yiewomy invention and disclosureyaria-V,tions and modifications to meetindividual whim or particular Vneedwill doubtless become evident to others skilled in the;art, to obtainallorpart of the benefits of my inventionwithout copying lthe' structureshown, handI, therefore, ,claimxall such insofar as they `fall withinAthereasonable rspirit and Ascope ofvmy claims..

Y the tank, a pump c orinectergl,tothe tank for .ap-

cycles alternating current, supply.electricalY energy through a fuse d5adjacent terminal lf-i.

to a circuit branch 4&3 including the motor 2t 'in series witha motorswitch 3 l. A separate circuit branch All in parallel with the'branch d6in-V cludes a switch 'fliin series fwith a circuit .branch `4i!including an electromagnet il@ of the remote grounded at. Also in:series Vwithltlfie drain valve switch .4i .I c ol'lioect` theswitchSlwhich A controls the electromagnetv 50 of remote control plicator,means connecting. vthe applicatorand the i tank includingj a` bypass,.acontrollable,4 by,- pass valve for regulating the suction ontheapplicator, pump `means .applying .suction to the tank,

flushing means for introducing liquid into the tank, a `vali/,e,controlling.theiiushing means,.-remote control,mechanismzoperable fromadjacent the applicator for .controllinglthe fiushingyalva `a drain forVtl1etanl:, a ,drain valueor thev drain and remote controlvalveineanscontrollablelfrorn adjacent the applicator for operatingYthe.' drain Valve.

3. In anaspirator-for surgical use, anaspirator applicator, a tank1cm0l?e.fr0m, thetahplicator,

means Vfor, Vconnecting the applicator ,and .the

.able from adjacent, the applicator or for contolling .the ,ushirie.ra1ve...a.drain forthatanls a ValveV controlling theidrain; remotecontrol means operable from adjacent the applicator for operating thedrain valve, a pump applying suction to the tank, and means forpreventing opening of the ushing valve unless the drain valve islikewise opened.

4. In an aspirator for surgical use, an aspirator applicator, a tankremote from the applicator, means for connecting the applicator and thetank, a pump applying suction to the tank, ushing means for introducingliquid to wash the interior of the tank, a valve controlling theflushing means, remote control means operable from, adjacent theapplicator for controlling the flush"- ing valve, a drain for the tank,a Valve controlling the drain, remote control means operable fromadjacent the applicator forfoperating the drain valve, a switchcontrolling the drain valve remote control means, and a second switch inseries with the rst controlling the ushing valve remote control means sothat the flushing valve cannot open except when the drain valve opens.

5. In an aspirator for surgical use, an aspirator applicator, a tankremote from the applicator,

20 Number REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thele of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Janette Feb. 9, 1909 McKesson June 21,1932

